New councilmen take oath of office

Getter to serve as WC mayor for coming year

January 7, 2014

John Hawkins, Matt McKinney and Logan Welch officially took up their posts on the City Council of Webster City Monday night.

The three received the most votes out of the field of seven candidates in the Nov. 5 election. They filled seats most recently held by Janet Adams, Linda Conaway and Jerry Kloberdanz.

The new councilmen took the oath of office, administered by City Clerk Karyl Bonjour, just minutes before the start of the first City Council meeting of 2014.

Article Photos

- Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Anne BlankenshipMatt McKinney, Logan Welch and John Hawkins are given the oath of office by City Clerk Karyl Bonjour Monday night prior to the City Council meeting.

Doug Getter, Webster City’s new mayor, center, took the oath of office Monday night during the City Council meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Geary Meyer looks on as City Clerk Karyl Bonjour swears in Getter.

Monday's session also served as the reorganizational meeting for the council with the election of a new mayor. Doug Getter will serve as the Webster City's mayor for the coming year and Geary Meyer will be the mayor pro-tem. Getter was unanimously approved for the mayoral seat by his fellow councilmen. Four of the council members voted in favor of appointing Meyer as mayor pro-tem, with Welch voting against the proposal.

A series of appointments to boards and commissions were also approved. All were unanimously approved by the council as follows:

The City Council also appointed Ed Sadler as city manager, with Welch voting nay. Sadler's contract was approved on May 21, 2013, and the city code requires appointment to the position at the beginning of the new term following the city election.

Two resignations from local commissions were approved at the meeting. Eugene Gray issued his resignation from the Hamilton County Solid Waste Commission and Logan Welch resigned from the Civil Service Commission.

Getter asked those who might be interested in serving on the commissions to contact Karyl Bonjour, city clerk.

As part of the council's reorganizational housekeeping tasks, the dates and times of council meetings were set for the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m., for the month of January. A change in time is coming in February, however, when the council will begin to hold meetings at 5:15 p.m.

The council also approved second reading of two proposed amendments to ordinances - one pertaining fences, and the second replacing Chapter 20 of Title 1 pertaining to the city clerk.

"Very strong"

The City Council heard a presentation by Jeff Peters of Williams and Company, the city's audit firm. He outlined the audit findings and gave a report on the city's financial condition.

"Your financial position is very strong," he said. "You're sitting in a very good spot."

Peters said would be communities are envious of Webster City's municipal electric utility.

"You have the ability by generating revenue to provide for projects and governmental-type activities because you have an electric fund," he said. "It's a wonderful source of revenue. The profits from that utility get to stay in your community."